Community priorities
When it comes to the roadway, some of the priorities shared by the community included:
- Safer bike lanes, including some separated from the flow of car traffic
- Safe, wide walking paths
- Less noise and air pollution from traffic when enjoying the coast
- Slowing down traffic along the coast
- Making it safer to cross the road to get to the coast
- Maintaining ocean views for drivers and residents who live along Carlsbad Boulevard
New “coastal street” designation
The city’s General Plan, approved in 2015, gave south Carlsbad Boulevard a new designation as a coastal street. The design options for the 1-mile stretch of Carlsbad Boulevard reflect this new designation, in addition to the community’s input. Some of the features of a coastal street include enhanced pedestrian crossings, wide sidewalks, slower vehicle speeds, and infrastructure to encourage bicycling, such as buffered or separated bike lanes.
Next steps
- Public input and feedback from the city’s boards and commissions will be shared with the City Council later this summer to assist in selecting a preferred option.
- The following city boards and commissions will have an opportunity to review the options and provide feedback: Traffic & Mobility Commission, Parks & Recreation Commission, Beach Preservation Commission and Planning Commission.
- A final product of the study will be a conceptual design of how southbound Carlsbad Boulevard from Manzano Drive to Island Way could be moved to the east. The grant does not include funding to build the new road, just to complete a rough design.
- Beyond completing the study, the City Council will determine next steps for the 1-mile section of roadway and the full length of south Carlsbad Boulevard.
- At this time, no additional work has been included in the city’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget for either project.